Gauging device for a fastener setting machine



R. E. MILLER 3,002,643

GAUGING DEVICE FOR A FASTENER SETTING MACHINE Oct. 3, 1961 Filed Jan. 7, 1957 INVENTOR' Robert E Miller TTORNEY 3,002,643 GAUGRNG DEVICE FGR A FASTENER SET'IENG MAC Robert E. Miiler, Waterbury, Conn, assignor to Scoviil Manufacturing Qornpany, Waterbury, 01m, a corporation of Connecticut Filed Jan. '7, 1957, Ser. No. 632,844 2 Ciaims. (Cl. 2lt5l7.2)

This invention relates to gauging devices adapted to be used in connection with fastener setting machines. More particularly it relates to the combination with a fastener-setting machine of a gauging mechanism for assisting the operator in centralizing the setting of a snap fastener element relative to snap fastener elements previously set upon a garment.

The invention is useful in the manufacture of such garments as baby pants having three snap fasteners at each side thereof. The edge-finishing strips are usually made of material which is somewhat stretchable so that often ,one strip will be somewhat longer than its mating strip. Then if the stud and socket elements were equal- '13! spaced, as would be case if they were applied with the usual attaching machine, the upper and lower edges of the two sides of the garment would not be in alignment. It is desirable, therefore, that the top and bottom fastener elements be located properly with respect to the edges of the garment and the middle elements be located midway between them regardless of variations in the length of the edge-finishing strip. In cases where one strip is longer than the other, it will bulge slightly between the fasteners.

It is the object of this invention to provide a gauging device that can be attached to the conventional fastener setting machine and manually operated to position the edge-finishing strip of the garment after the end fastener elements are attached so that when attaching the middle element the setting station of the machine will be midway between the end fasteners.

A further object of this invention is to provide a gauging device of simple construction and easy to operate without interfering with the setting tools of a fastener setting machine.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a front elevation of a fastener setting machine having a gauging device embodying my invention attached thereto.

FIG. 2 is a plan of a gauging device, per se.

FIG. 3 is a front elevation of the same.

FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view taken along the line 4-4 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a cross sectional view taken along the line 5-5 of FIG. 2, and

FIG. 6 is a plain View of a type of garment to which the central fasteners are located by my gauging device.

Referring now to the drawing, the gauging device consists of a support it in the form of an elongated plate or support which is attached by means of brackets 11 to the base 1?, of a fastener attaching machine 13. Fixedly mounted on the support plate in, by means of screws 14-, is a rack and pinion housing 15 having a front cover plate 16 held in place thereon by screws 17. A freely rotatable pinion gear 18 is mounted on a shaft 19 fixed to housing 15 and cover plate 16, and said gear is located in a suitable recess in housing 15. The pinion 18 engages a pair of opposed rack members 29 and 2.1, which are slidably positioned respectively below and above the pinion gear 1S and suitably guided in housing 15. The outer extremities of the rack members 20 and 21 are attached by means of screws to guide blocks 22 and 23 which are slidably mounted on the support plate 10. The guide blocks 22 and 23 are provided with elongated projections 22a (FIG. 5) snuglyfitting the slots 24 and 25 provided in said support plate 10, thereby preventing relative twisting of said guide blocks to the plate 10 during lateral movement of said blocks. Fastener engaging means in the form of locating arms 26 and 27 extend forwardly from the underside of the support plate 10 and are fixedly connected to the elongated projections of the guide blocks 21 and 23. The attachment of the locating arms 26 and 27 to the guide block projections, plus the shoulder 26a of said arms cooperating with the forward edge of plate 10, will prevent the locating arms from twisting as they are moved laterally along said plate. The arms 26 and 2.7 carry downward projections 28 and 29 which are in lateral alignment with the fastener setting station indicated by the numeral 30 in FIG. 2 as determined by the axes of the usual punch 31 and die 32 of the fastener machine 13. In the accompanying drawing the projections 28 and 29 are illustrated as pins which are adapted to fit into the socket portion of a snap fastener. When the stud mem ber of a snap fastener is to be attached, it is only necessary to replace the pins 28 and 29 with tubular members which are adapted to receive the stud element. With this arrangement it will be clear that the pins 28 and 29v are always equidistant from the fixed axis of the pinion gear 18, which, as is evident from FIG. 1, is in alignment with the setting station 30.

FIG. 6 shows a pair of baby pants 33' made of plastic material and provided with snap fastener elements along the edges of the side opening of each leg. When the fastener elements are separated, the garment can be laid out flat thus facilitating the dressing of an infant. Plastic reinforcing strips 34 and 3-5 are provided along the. edges of the side openings to support the fastener elements thereby preventing ripping or tearing of the relatively thin plastic material.

When the fastener elements are attached to the garment, it is desirable to place the end socket fasteners 36 and 37 and also the complemental stud fasteners 38 and 39 quite near the top and bottom of the garment regardless of the length of the opposed side edges, thus assuring a good fit around the infants waist and legs.

Due to the elastic nature of the plastic material the length of the edges as well as the distance between the end of the socket fasteners 36 and 37 on the reinforcing strip 34- and the distance between the stud fasteners 38 and 39 on the strip 35 may vary in length. Because of the difference in spacing of the fastener elements, there will be a bulging of one reinforcing strip in relation to the other when the complemental fastener elements are snapped together. In order to minimize the bulging between adjacent fastener elements it is therefore desirable to attach a third fastener element midway between the end fasteners previously attached.

In the case of the socket elements, this is accomplished by placing the reinforcing strip 34 and attached socket elements 36 and 37 under the locating arms 26 and 27 and engaging the sockets 36 and 37 with the pins 28 and 29. Because of the positive connection between 10- eating arms 26 and 27 through rack members 20 and 21 and pinion gear 18, any movement of one locating arm will result in an equal movement of one other locating arm. Moving the locating arms 26 and 27 with the end fasteners on the garment carried thereby laterally away from the setting station 30 to the limit of travel allowed by the reinforcing strip 34 will position the socket membars 36 and 37 equidistant on either side of the setting station, thus assuring that the third fastener socket 40 will be attached midway between the end sockets 36 and 37. The same equalizing of the distance of the stud fasteners 38 and 39 will likewise be obtained having the r 1C6 Patented Oct. 3, 19 61.

hi1 v I 8,002,648 a H v 3 gang'e'unit provided'u'lithlodating fingers adapted to receive the stud elements.

I claim:

1. In a snap fastener setting machine, a punch and die, the center line of which defines a setting station, a gauging device for locating the edge of a garment with respect to said setting station of said machine for setting athirdfastener'elem'ent midway between two previously set fastener elements, said gauging device comprising an elongated supportplate fixedly attached to said machine rearwardly 'of said setting station, said plate having a pair of longitudinal slots extending lengthwise thereof one ateach side of said setting'station, a pair of guide blocks slidablealong the top of said plate, elongated projections fixed-to said guide blocks, said projections snugly and slidably fitting said slots to prevent twisting of said blocks relative to said Plate, a pair of locating arms slidahle along the underside of said plate, means fixedly and non-rotatably connecting said arms to said guide block projections, said arms'extending forwardly of said plate, each of said arms having an element locating means at its forward end located in lateral alignment with the fastenersetting station and serving to be engaged by previously set-fastener elements upon the garments, a housing-fixedly mounted on said plate, a single gear rotatably niountedin's'aid housing directly in back ofsaid setting station, and a pair of opposed laterallyextending racks engaging said gear and slidable in said liousingps'aid raclr's having their outer ends joined to said guide blocks whereby movement of one of the arms latterally of the setting station'will move the opposite arm an equal distance in the opposite direction so that said third fastener element may be set midway between said two previously set fasteners.

2 In a snap fastener setting machine, a punch and die the'center line of which defines a setting station, a gauging device for locating the edge of a garment with respect to said setting station of said machine for setting an intermediate fastener element at spaced distanees'between two previously set fastener elements, said gauging device comprising an elongated support plate fixedly attached to said machine rearwardly of said setting station, said plate having a pair of longitudinal slots extending lengthwise thereof one at each side of said setting station, a pair of guide blocks slidable along the top of said plate, elongated projections fixed to said guide blocks, said projections snugly and slidably fitting said slots to prevent twisting of said blocks relative to said plate, a pair of locating arms slidable along the underside of said plate, means fixedly and non-rotatab ly connecting said arms to said guide block projections, said arms extending forwardly of said plate, each of said arms having element locating means at its forward end located "in lateral alignment with the fastener setting station arid serving to be engaged, by previously set fastener elements upon the garment, a housing fixedly mounted on said plate, a single gear rotatably mounted in said housing directly in back to said setting station, and 'a pair of opposed laterally-extending racks engaging said gear and slidable in said housing, said racks having their outer ends joined to said guide blocks whereby movement of one of the arms laterally of the setting'station will move the opposite arm an equal distmce in the opposite direction so that said intermediate fastener element 'may be set in a predetermined position between said two previously set fasteners.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,424,895 Girard et al. Aug. 8, 1922 2,333,033 Marz Oct. '26, 1943 2,345,640 Treciokas et al. Apr. 4, 1944- 2,5 99,819 Fisher June 10, 1952 

